Chasing You

2

BRADEN

I flip open the pizza box and grab a slice. The house is quiet without the rest of the boys. They are all moving in the girls, I opted out. As excited as I am to see them I don't want to see Lacey. I fucked up. I fucked up everything with her and I couldn't just fucking admit it. Now, I have a girlfriend. Well I guess you could call her my girlfriend. I take a bite of the pizza leaning my back against the counter. Our house looks the same as it did last year just cleaner.

Jeremy's mom came in here and cleaned after we left for the summer. We had to come back for training camp in July and now everyone is back to moving in. As a way for us to welcome everyone back, we are throwing down tonight. Meaning I'm bound to see Lacey.

Fuck.

She's crying and I can't look at her. Her baby blue eyes that I could get lost in at any moment. The ones I look for in the crowd and I can't even help it. I feel her reach out to me but I step away from her. I finally have the balls to look up at her. Tears stream down her beautiful face and she wipes them roughly.

With a curt nod she walks away and I let her.

I let her walk away and I lied. I lied about the bet, I lied about everything. At first I went for Lacey because she was hot. She has the legs, she's tall, her body is amazing, and don't get me started on her ass. That was before I got to know her. I learned everything about that girl and told that girl everything.

Before she got under my skin and played my game better than I fucking did. Michael Burke is the biggest douchebag and I knew that I would never make a fucking bet with him over a girl.

He's an ass. Transferring to Duke like a fucking coward.

I am pulled out of my thoughts when the door swings open. I stand up straighter as I hear my roommates loud ass voices. I toss the crumbled up pizza crust that was held in my fist into the pizza box. I hate the house being quiet without them it's weird.

"Oh Braden, we are home!" Trey yells kicking the kitchen door open. I blink at him silently chucking the crust of my pizza into the trashcan. He's holding a big case of beer and two cases of White Claws on top. I raise my eyebrows at him looking at the choice of alcohol.

"Are we sorority girls now?" I ask Trey as he shoots me a middle finger. I chuckle at him as he sets the alcohol onto the counter.

"They're the girls," he states as if I was suppose to know. Although my stomach tightens at the comment. The girls? Define the girls, I shouldn't even care. Christine is coming tonight and she finally is meeting everyone. I just need it to go semi-decent. Tori and Carter are enough to worry about let alone Lacey showing up.

"Oh so we provide the alcohol now?" I ask him as he sets the alcohol on the counter next to the pizza. He glances in the pizza box grabbing a slice of MY pizza. "Asshole that's mine!"

"I'll Venmo," he says with a mouth full of pizza. "And also it's for the pregame. The girls gave us money for it."

I nod my head mutely and head for another slice of pizza. The kitchen door opens again and this time its Asher. He holds a case of Bud Light Seltzers and a handle of Pink Whitney. I raise my eyebrows at him as he sets everything down on the counter. We are really buying alcohol for everyone tonight.

"Who do you think this is for? My psycho girlfriend," he mumbles walking over to the pizza box. He opens it up making a face before closing it again. "Whose pizza?"